Structural assembly and method

Abstract

A structural assembly includes a first member and a second member. The first member has at least one fastener receptacle and at least one shear pocket formed in the member side. The Shear pocket has a pocket cross-section. The second member has at least one shear boss protruding outwardly from the second member, the shear boss has a boss cross-section shaped complementary to the pocket cross-section. The shear boss is configured to be received with the shear pocket and transfer only shear load between the first member and the second member. The structural assembly includes a tension fastener configured to engage the fastener receptacle and couple the first member to the second member and transfer only tension load therebetween at least during an initial transfer of the shear load between the first member and the second member by the shear boss.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A structural assembly comprising:
 a first member having at least one fastener receptacle and at least one shear pocket, the at least one shear pocket having a pocket cross-section; 
 a second member having at least one shear boss protruding outwardly from the second member, the at least one shear boss having a boss cross-section shaped complementary to the pocket cross-section, the at least one shear boss configured to be axially inserted into the at least one shear pocket and being non-fastened to the first member and limited to transferring only shear load between the first member and the second member; and 
 a tension fastener configured to engage the at least one fastener receptacle and couple the first member to the second member and transfer only tension load therebetween at least during an initial transfer of the shear load between the first member and the second member by the at least one shear boss. 
 
     
     
       2. The structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one shear boss is non-threadably engaged to the first member. 
 
     
     
       3. The structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one fastener receptacle is a threaded insert in the first member; and 
 the tension fastener extends through a fastener through-hole in the second member and is threadably engaged to the threaded insert. 
 
     
     
       4. The structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first member is a sandwich panel comprised of a pair of face sheets interconnected by a core; and 
 the at least one shear pocket being formed in one of the face sheets. 
 
     
     
       5. The structural assembly of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the core is honeycomb; and 
 the at least one shear boss is hollow. 
 
     
     
       6. The structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one shear boss is integral to the second member. 
 
     
     
       7. The structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one shear boss is coupled to the second member by at least one of mechanical coupling and adhesive bonding. 
 
     
     
       8. The structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one shear boss has a boss proximal end that is threadably engaged to internal threads formed in a hole in the first member. 
 
     
     
       9. The structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one shear boss, the at least one shear pocket, and the tension fastener are configured such that in a first loaded condition, greater than 90% of the shear load is borne by the at least one shear boss and in a second loaded condition in which the shear load exceeds a predetermined threshold, less than 90% of the shear load is borne by the at least one shear boss. 
 
     
     
       10. The structural assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second member includes a plurality of shear bosses and tension fasteners arranged in at least one linear pattern of at least one shear boss between each adjacent pair of tension fasteners; and 
 the first member including an arrangement of shear pockets and fastener receptacles complementary to the linear pattern of shear bosses and tension fasteners of the second member. 
 
     
     
       11. A method of assembling a first member with a second member, comprising:
 axially inserting a shear boss protruding outwardly from a second member into a shear pocket formed in a first member, the shear boss having a boss cross-section shaped complementary to a pocket cross-section of the first member, the shear boss being non-fastened to the first member and limited to transferring only shear load between the first member and the second member; and 
 engaging a tension fastener of the second member with a fastener receptacle of the first member, the tension fastener configured to transfer only tension load between the first member and the second member at least during an initial transfer of the shear load between the first member and the second member by the shear boss. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of axially inserting the shear boss into the shear pocket comprises:
 non-threadably engaging the shear boss to the shear pocket. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of engaging the tension fastener with the fastener receptacle comprises:
 extending the tension fastener through a fastener through-hole in the second member and into threaded engagement with a threaded insert of the first member. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first member is a sandwich panel comprised of a pair of face sheets interconnected by a core, the step of axially inserting the shear boss into the shear pocket comprises:
 axially inserting the shear boss into the shear pocket formed in the face sheet nearest the second member. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the steps of axially inserting the shear boss into the shear pocket and engaging the tension fastener with the fastener receptacle comprise:
 axially inserting a plurality of shear bosses arranged in at least one linear pattern of the second member with a corresponding arrangement of shear pockets of the first member; and 
 engaging a plurality of tension fasteners arranged in the linear pattern with a corresponding arrangement of fastener receptacles of the first member. 
 
     
     
       16. A method of transferring shear load between a first member with a second member, comprising:
 transferring only shear load between the first member and the second member using a shear boss protruding outwardly from the second member and axially inserted into a shear pocket formed in the first member and being non-attached to the first member, the shear boss having a boss cross-section shaped complementary to a pocket cross-section of the first member; and 
 transferring, using a tension fastener extending from the second member and engaged with a fastener receptacle of the first member, only tension load between the first member and the second member at least during an initial transfer of the shear load between the first member and the second member by the shear boss. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first member is a sandwich panel comprised of a pair of face sheets interconnected by a core, the step of transferring only shear load between the first member and the second member comprises:
 transferring the shear load from the shear boss into the shear pocket formed in the face sheet nearest the second member. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the steps of transferring the shear load using the shear boss and transferring the tension load using the tension fastener comprise:
 transferring the shear load using a plurality of shear bosses arranged in at least one linear pattern of the second member and axially inserted into a corresponding arrangement of shear pockets of the first member; and 
 transferring the tension load using a plurality of tension fasteners arranged in the linear pattern and engaged with a corresponding arrangement of fastener receptacles of the first member. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of transferring the shear load using the shear boss comprises:
 transferring shear load oriented in two different directions using a plurality of shear bosses arranged in at least two linear patterns respectively oriented in the two different directions and axially inserted into a corresponding arrangement of shear pockets of the first member. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of transferring the shear load using the shear boss comprises:
 transferring the shear load under a first loaded condition in which greater than 90% of the shear load is borne by the shear boss; and 
 transferring the shear load under a second loaded condition in which the shear load exceeds a predetermined threshold, in which case less than 90% of the shear load is borne by the shear boss and a remainder of the shear load is borne by the tension fastener.